INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM "JOURNALISM AND DEMOCRACY" BEGINS IN ZADAR

ZADAR $ ZADAR, Oct 13 (Hina) - The eighth international symposium "Journalism and Democracy", organized by the Croatian Communication Society, began on Sunday in Zadar, a coastal town 200 kilometres south of Zagreb. The symposium was opened by the president of the organization committee Mario Plenkovic, a professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Political Sciences. Asked why journalism and democracy were the topics of the symposium, Plenkovic said that it had been decided a year ago, and that it was not determined by any particular event or excess. The topic had been imposed by conflict situations in all societies, the temptations of new media technologies, crisis situations and media chaos in most countries, Plenkovic said and added that scientists and journalists from 19 countries were taking part in the symposium. The symposium would discuss democracy and journalism, journalism in democracy, media ethics, media and politics, Plenkovic said. "Nowadays the world, perhaps rightly, criticizes us as not having enough freedom in the media, but it must be said that the Croats are a small people who are trying to promote its national values through the media. Anyway, we expect an open dialogue, everyone's right to express their opinion", Plenkovic said. Present at the opening were, among others, members of the Croatian Helsinki Committee and several international participants. (hina) ha 132035 MET oct 96